Includes bibliographical references and index

Foreword: The unmetabolized Darwin / by Niles Eldredge -- Acknowledgement -- Preface -- Introduction: The pillars of creationism -- PART I: SCIENCE, EVOLUTION, RELIGION, AND CREATIONISM: Science: "truth without certainty" -- Evolution -- Beliefs: religion, creationism, and naturalism -- PART II: A HISTORY OF THE CREATIONISM/EVOLUTION CONTROVERSY: Before Darwinism to the Twentieth Century -- Eliminating evolution, inventing creation science -- Neocreationism -- PART III: SELECTIONS FROM THE LITERATURE: Cosmology, astronomy, geology -- Patterns and processes of biological evolution -- Legal issues -- Educational issues -- Religious issues -- The nature of science

Almost 80 years after the Scopes trial, the debate over the teaching of evolution continues. There is no easy resolution--it is a complex topic with profound scientific, religious, educational, and legal implications. [This book] provides an introduction to the many facets of the current debate--the scientific evidence for evolution, the legal and educational basis for its teaching, the various religious points of view--as well as a concise history of the evolution-creationism controversy. [This book first] addresses the nature of how evolution works as part of the scientific enterprise, as well as a summary of the relationship between religious beliefs and science. A section on the history of the evolution versus creationism controversy provides a handy synopsis of the lengthy struggles, from before Darwin to the present day, between advocates of creationism and the proponents of evolution. [Next the book provides] a collection of primary source documents, addressing cosmology, law, education, and religious issues from all sides of the debate. -Back cover